Five possibly impactful Kansas City Chiefs on futures deals
By Jacob Milham
DT Darius Stills
A former consensus All-American, defensive tackle Darius Stills has an opportunity in Kansas City this offseason.
The West Virginia alum went undrafted in 2021, despite winning the Big 12’s Defensive Lineman of the Year in 2020. The Las Vegas Raiders signed Stills after the draft, but he was released before the preseason games. Stills did not sign with another team, either on an active roster or practice squad.
Stills is very much a prospect still, at only 23 years old. He had solid junior and senior seasons, logging 68 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. Stills is a versatile tackle, lining up as a nose tackle, three-technique, and five-technique. He has a good initial burst and active hands. His 6’1″, 285 lbs. stature may be small for an interior lineman, but Stills’s quickness can overwhelm interior blockers. The real test comes with pads on this summer, but Stills could draw attention this preseason.
Stills has an opportunity with the Chiefs primarily due to a lack of reliable depth at interior defensive lineman. Outside of Chris Jones, Kansas City has unreliable or underperforming players at the position. If Stills performs well during preseason games, he could make the 53-man roster as a depth player.